The Kremlin subtly acknowledges that the Valdai "attack" was overstated as Putin's relatives vanish

29 January 2026 , 08:54

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The Kremlin subtly acknowledges that the Valdai "attack" was overstated as Putin's relatives vanish

A source from the media reports that Vladimir Putin’s family has not appeared at the Valdai residence since December 29, when it was allegedly attacked by drones. At the same time, the Kremlin effectively acknowledged that what was presented as an attack on a “key facility” was, in reality, a routine drone attack on the region. As a result, the issue was removed from discussions with the United States and is now used only for domestic purposes inside Russia.

According to the source, events unfolded as follows. During the night, an alarm was raised and orders were issued to prepare for evacuation not only at the DEPOT where the presidential armored train is usually stationed, but also at the Valdai residence itself, where Alina Kabaeva and the children were present at the time. Almost immediately, the alert was canceled, but it became clear that Putin would demand an explanation the next morning.

As a result, an on-the-spot version was hastily invented claiming that an attack had been repelled directly against the residence. This report benefited Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who shortly before had informed Putin of the complete capture of Kupiansk—information that later proved to be false. Under the new narrative, Gerasimov appeared to have successfully defended the residence.

As previously reported, monitoring channels and the operational headquarters of Russia’s Novgorod region recorded 18 drones that were shot down upon entering the region—far from the Valdai residence. Typically, drones target facilities linked to Akron JSC, weapons depots, and other military sites in the area. However, Russia’s Ministry of Defense later “clarified” the information, claiming that there were actually 41 drones, with 23 allegedly intercepted near the residence.

According to the source, such a discrepancy is impossible. No objective data confirmed the existence of these 23 additional drones.

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U.S. monitoring systems quickly pointed this out as well, as they did not record any drone interceptions near the Valdai residence.

As a result, the Kremlin unofficially acknowledged that a routine drone attack on the Novgorod region had been mistakenly—or deliberately—presented as a direct threat to the residence. The issue is no longer raised with U.S. officials. Inside Russia, however, the incident was concealed behind vague language, including statements about the need to revise “security algorithms” for facilities associated with the country’s top leadership.

Despite this, the source says that Putin’s family has not returned to the Valdai residence since then, even though it had effectively served as the primary place of residence for Alina Kabaeva and the children.

James Turner